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Salt Lick GS250T

J

jonnywdwd

Forum Newbie
Just brought this bike home today. It's a 1981. Pics below, as bought, after sitting for years in a shed. I did the usual, sensible checks (engine turns? fuel flows? spark? oil level? air filter?) before cranking it over, and got it to burble with fuel squirted directly into the cylinders. Yay. Lots of dust and spotty chrome, but doesn't look abused beyond the neglect. I'm excited to see what I find, and to search this forum for answers to whatever comes up.
Jonny

Hmm, it's only letting me add one pic per post. maybe cos I'm new?

DSCN4948.jpg
 
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Welcome Jonny! I'm new too.
Looks like a good find!
I don't think the Forum is good for adding pics, they seem to encourage offsite photo hosting with a link ;)
Good luck with new machine in Salt Lick City!
- Dylan
 
A twin! Looks not bad either..typical rot on the thin chrome...watch out to take it off and repaint-protect the inside of the fender so it doesn't rust through...
Only one pic per post using forum-not because you're new. A 1080 width makes a good upload...

Good manual for you at Bike-Cliffs: "GS250-300L..." It's 91mb but it's the real Suzuki shop manual for your bike.
BikeCliff's Website
Lots of other stuff on the site too as much in common among the suzukis of this era...
 
Not sure what's up with those handlebars but the rest looks to be relatively untouched, which is a good sign.

I don't know what your experience with motorcycles is, but in case you don't already know: don't go too far on those tires, judging from the tread pattern, they look old enough that they probably have zero grip. Might even be original.

Welcome!
 
Thanks for the tips and comments so far. Those bars were rotated way back so that I could fit the bike in my Previa. Maybe that's why they look funk.
Been too busy to do anything with it yet, but here's what I found in the airbox from the initial inspection... first time I've used a vacuum cleaner to remove an air filter.

DSCN4956.jpg

If I can only do one pic per post I'll be doing a lot of posting. I'll try to figure out how to change the size next time.
 
There a bit of a trick to posting more and better pictures in a thread. Link in my signature for using Imgur.
 
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Managed to get a little done on this. Cleaned the carbs and it runs, but not too well right now... I may have more work to do there. Some parts arrived and I replaced fork dust wipers (seals seem ok), cleaned the front brake system (which was dry and cruddy) and installed a real air filter. On the 250T the airbox lid is on the top and one of the sliders interferes with the wiring harness... just an fyi for other 250 owners.

DSCN4960.jpg

Designer needs firing. Actually, designer has perhaps died by now.
 
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jonnywdwd said:
On the 250T the airbox lid is on the top and one of the sliders interferes with the wiring harness...
Designer needs firing. Actually, designer has perhaps died by now.
Click to expand...
The designer probably figured that it was a "once every four or five years" job, so didn't worry about it much.
 
Finally, I got the airbox boots softened up enough to get them on properly using the 3:1 alcohol:methyl salicylate method (which works so well it's uncanny). Also noticed that the original regulator was charging at well over 15v at anything above idle, so I replaced it with a shindengen 775. My tool holder bracket was missing so I put it where the tools used to go.

DSCN4964.jpg

It clears the battery area well if located here, but of course if you have tools it might not be the best. The battery I have is not the recommended size either. It is a ctx12-bs from my SV650, but I like it because it is not quite as tall and makes getting to the battery terminals a bit easier. Side cover still fits fine.
 
Nice! Your on the right track, the Charging systems are the Achilles heal on these bikes. Once sorted they turn out to be robust little machines.
The 250 is a bit of a porker but the cool thing is you could swap in a 450 or even a 650 from the GR and ride it.
Keep an eye on that front rubber brake line, nice to see this one has a disc front brake.
Cheers!
 
So here's my first request for help...
Before putting too many miles on the bike I am trying to do a valve clearance check and adjustment, and not getting very far.
My problem is getting the tachometer gear out of the valve cover. I have removed the cable, the single screw and plate holding the mechanism in, there's absolutely nothing externally which is holding it and I can't get the bugger out. I have tried gently prying on it and there is some rubbery-feeling flex to it (feels like it would if there was an o-ring stuck), but man, I'm loath to pry any harder. I also tried rotating the engine to a couple of different positions and still no luck.
WTF?
 
Those are a bugger to get out. The 250 T valve cover is similar to the 750T valve cover, it's a lot easier to remove the valve cover w/ the tack drive still in it. Then you can more easily grab the drive housing with a padded channel lock pliers and twist and pull it free. Replace the oil seal inside the housing, and the flat o-ring (SEAL BAND) on the housing. parts fiche from partshark linked here. https://www.partshark.com/oemparts/a/suz/50d3ee77f8700230d8b4b552/cylinder-head-cover
 
Thank you for the quick response and advice.
It looks like the tach driven gear mates with a drive gear lower down in the engine, which doesn't come off with the cover.
Do I have to be concerned about damaging that lower gear as I take the cover off?
I assume not since you didn't mention it, but you know - ass of u and me, and all that. It's my first time dealing with an old engine like this so it seems prudent to ask before I F anything!

Edit - went ahead and removed the cover with the tach gear in the cover. Yes, the 2 gears just separate no issues. So, it is probably preferable, from my pov at least, to do it this way rather than following the manual's recommendation to remove the tach driven gear from the cover first. Why remove it if you don't need to and risk damaging seals?
Edit 2 - I see that in the engine reassembly section of the service manual the reason for removing the tach gear from the cover is so that upon reassembly you don't chance damaging the gears if they don't mesh properly when you're tightening the cover back down.
 
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With the tach drive mounted in the cover when you reinstall, you may have to turn the spindle a bit back and forth to get the cover to sit down flat. When the gears line up the cover should plop right into place. If the cover doesn’t want to lay flat, it’s the tack drive spindle that’s hanging it up.
 
I think that model is the same as the 450 - quite simple to put twinpot brake and bigger rotor on it :)
 
salty_monk said:
I think that model is the same as the 450 - quite simple to put twinpot brake and bigger rotor on it :)
Click to expand...

Probably is. Suz, Hon, Kwak and Yam all pulled the same stroke. Make a 250 bike and then charge a considerable amount more for the same engine with bigger holes.
 
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